Summer Brake
by DSpeedblood
Summary: When Dom and his crew plan the greatest museum heist in history, they'll have to assemble the greatest street crew ever to pull it off! But what will they do when Hobbs learns of their plan and vows to stop them?
1. Chapter 1

Toronto. Midnight. Silent. Until the roar of two Civic breaks the night like a pair of angry wolves!

Dirk Speedblood and Maxx Speedblood, Canada's greatest street racers and also brothers, were neck and neck as they pushed their cars to the limit along the Macdonald Cartier Freeway, blowing past slower traffic. No one had any hope of keeping up with the two racers.

"You won't win this time, Maxx Speedblood," said Dirk Speedblood, "You may be my older brother, but I'll show you what it means to have the heart of a racer."

Dirk Speedblood's aura burned brightly, like a star being born, but it was like nothing compared to his brother's.

"Just try and catch me," laughed Maxx Speedblood, his ice blue eyes twinkling with amusement as he watched his brother fall behind in his rear view mirror.

Dirk Speedblood's blood red 1993 Civic started losing ground to the midnight black 2007 Civic Si that his brother drove. "No!" he shouted, "This cannot be!"

He downshifted from 6th gear to 2nd, the engine revving up to 12000 RPM and howling like a wolf as his car rapidly started gaining again. The two cars were quickly coming up on the off ramp to the Don Valley Parkway, and Dirk Speedblood knew that he would have to make his move quickly if he wanted to win.

"Not good enough!" laughed Maxx Speedblood.

His driving skills were on display as he effortlessly drifted between the slower moving traffic, coming within centimeters of hitting a side mirror but never losing control. Even Dirk Speedblood had to admit that his brother had him outmatched. No! He wouldn't! Dirk Speedblood would push his car to the breaking point before he would admit defeat! "How could I call myself Dirk Speedblood if I gave up so easily?" thought Dirk Speedblood, "What would my name mean if I gave in?"

Dirk Speedblood downshifted once more, and his car's turbocharger whined like a jet turbine as the boost gauge hit 70 psi! He had done it! He was even with his brother's car as they went onto the off ramp.

Maxx Speedblood pulled his handbrake and went into an effortless drift, his hands expertly going back and forth on the wheel as his foot held down the gas. Dirk Speedblood was holding his own through the corner, his car staying perfectly parallel to his brother's.

"Amazing! That's the best twin drift I've ever seen!" thought the mysterious man in the Dodge Charger who had been following them.

But when they reached the end of the corner, Maxx Speedblood passed Dirk Speedblood and sped away, hitting the finish line a full car length before his brother.

"I almost had you!" said Dirk Speedblood.

"You never had me," laughed Maxx Speedblood, "You've got a long way to go before you have any chance of catching me."

Suddenly the mysterious man in the Charger got out of his car. "Well, I see the two of you have a little skill."

Dirk Speedblood gasped, "Who are you and how did you find us?"

"My name is Dominic Toretto. I'm putting together a crew of the greatest street racers ever for the greatest heist the world will ever see. Are you in?"

Maxx Speedblood laughed, "If you can catch me!"

He jumped back into his car and roared off, the Charger in hot pursuit!

Author's note:

Hi everyone! I've decided to try writing a story in the Fast and Furious universe! I just love cars so much and I think I've got a really great story to tell! Please review!


	2. Chapter 2

Dirk Speedblood jammed the gas pedal to the floor. Slower cars flew past on both sides, like stars being left in the dust by a fast spaceship. The roar of the engine echoed across the city.

Behind him, Dom Toretto forcefully pushed his foot into the gas pedal, like a cowboy digging his spurs into a horse. And like a wild cowboy, Dom's Charger flew down the road in hot pursuit of the Civic-toting Speedblood bros.

"Oh my gosh!" said Dom. "These guys are the real deal!" He upshifted and the sound of his quad turbo ripped through the air.

Dirk Speedblood focused on what was in front of him. He could feel Dom's power creeping up behind, and Maxx's immense power right in front of him. It was like being sandwiched between two really fat guys on an airplane- completely overwhelming.

Maxx turned on his hazard lights and roared off on one of the exits. "Hmm…" Dirk Speedblood asked himself aloud. "What's going on with him?"

Dom had finally caught up and rolled down his window. Against the noise of the cars, he shouted over to Dirk Speedblood. "I caught you! Now let's talk!"

But without Maxx in front, Dirk Speedblood had space to move again. "Fat chance, Dom! I've still got a trick or two up my sleeve!"

Dirk Speedblood shifted up into top gear. He began to gain on Dom's Charger a little bit more. "Race goes until daybreak!"

Dom looked up at the sky. He could almost see the sun creeping over the horizon, and he knew he had to make a move now. He looked over at Dirk Speedblood and winked. Then he flipped the switch for his NOS. The Charger rocketed forward, going even faster than before.

A few rays of sunshine started to peek over the horizon. Dirk Speedblood reached to shift up again, but he was already in top gear. Still, against all odds, his normally aspirated 1993 Civic was managing to hang on to a tight lead against Dom's monster machine.

All of a sudden, the hood of Dom's car burst into flames. Dom looked over at Dirk Speedblood and gave a thumbs up. "You're in. Meet me at the Bloor Viaduct, five minutes from now." He slowed as another figure in the passenger seat started to spray his hood with a fire extinguisher.

A riced out RX-7 pulled up on Dirk Speedblood's other side. The driver rolled down his window. Dirk Speedblood could instinctively tell the man's name was Han. "He let you win. That means he likes you!" said Han.

"Let me win…?" Dirk Speedblood asked. If that was true, then Dom was truly among the world's best drivers.

Dirk Speedblood drove straight to the viaduct and found Dom and a bunch of other people waiting for him there. "Took you long enough," said Dom. Dom introduced himself and his companions. Dirk Speedblood noticed Maxx wasn't there.

"We're all a big family here!" said Dom. He reached over and petted Brian O'Conner's baby to prove it. "Ride or die, that's our motto!"

"So what do you need me for?" asked Dirk Speedblood.

Roman Pearce answered this time. "We need something very important from a museum, but it's heavily guarded. To tell you the truth, we didn't really need your driving skills. What's more important is your enrollment at St. Dominick's Academy."

"My enrollment at St. Dominick's Academy?" Dirk Speedblood repeated.

A big man pulled up in a big truck and jumped out. He placed his hand on his chin and raised his eyebrow in an extravagant fashion. "Hey guys, it's me, Hobbs. You're not planning on stealing anything, are you?"

"I don't know, Hobbs, depends what you mean by steal. If this item falls into the wrong hands, it could spell the end of the world," Dom said as he crossed his arms and looked tough.

"End of the world?" said Hobbes. "Sounds like you're just being dramatic, but that's not a risk I'm willing to take. I guess I'm in, too."

Dom and Brian exchanged a high five. Dom put on a serious face. "Ok, this is good. We've got a badass crew and everything we need. It's time to get this plan on the road. Ride or die!" He hopped in his car and revved the engine.

Everyone else hopped in their cars, too. Han even did a few little drifts to heat up his wheels. Tires squealed, and Dom's plan swung into action.


	3. Chapter 3

Dirk Speedblood sat in the back row of his machine shop class, watching the clock tick closer and closer to 3PM. When Dom told everyone the plan, he told Dirk Speedblood that something big would happen at 3PM. But he didn't say what it was.

_Ding dong bing bong_, the school bells chimed. 3PM. Whatever Dom had planned, it was about to start.

The door opened and a familiar face walked through into the shop. "Dom!" Dirk Speedblood cried out in surprise.

The teacher gave Dirk Speedblood an angry look. "Mr. Dirk Speedblood, my name is TOM Doretto, and I'm your new shop teacher. You'd do well to remember that."

Dirk Speedblood looked at his teacher. He was pretty sure that it was really Dom, but if Dom had a reason to avoid being recognized, it'd be better to play along.

Tom/Dom continued, "Also, today is a big day for all of you. Not only do you have a new shop teacher, but you've got a foreign transfer student now. Class, say hi to Hans, from Berlin, Germany."

Dirk Speedblood watched as the new student came through the door. Sure enough, Hans looked just like Han, the legendary drift racer. Now he was sure that this was all a part of Dom's plan.

"Hey HANS!" Dirk Speedblood emphasized the "S" sound at the end of the name, to make it clear to Han that he saw through the disguise. "What brings you to Toronto?"

Han lit up a cigarette. "Just doing my best to blend in for now is all."

"Ok," said Dirk Speedblood. "Just let me know if you need anything."

A gorgeous, busty, perfect-looking Japanese girl came up next to Dirk Speedblood. Dirk Speedblood couldn't even put into words how attractive she was, so he was very happy that he could call her his girlfriend. She leaned in close and whispered to Dirk Speedblood "Speedy D, what's up? Do you know these people?"

"Yes, Krystal Kimiko," said Dirk Speedblood. "It's complicated, but you can trust these guys with your life."

Krystal Kimiko laughed. "Well, I hope I wont have to!" She poked Dirk Speedblood playfully. But Dirk Speedblood knew in his heart that much danger was ahead, and soon Dom, Han, and their friends might be the only thing standing between the high-speed streets of Toronto and an early grave.

Professor Tom Doretto called the class to attention. "Ok, guys, today's class is on automobile history. Can anyone tell me the name of the first motorized vehicle to go over 300 kilometers per hour?"

Dirk Speedblood raised his hand. "That would be the Honda Civic, right?"

Hans corrected him. "That's partially right, but you missed something. The Honda Civic was the first vehicle to reach 300 kph in Canada. But in Japan, the RX-7 reached that milestone a full year earlier!"

Dirk Speedblood didn't know that. But Han had slipped up. Dirk Speedblood could already see some of his classmates murmuring to one another. How would a German exchange student have known about a milestone set by a vehicle in Japan? Han's cover story was in danger of being blown. Dirk Speedblood had to act fast to save it.

The only way to save Han's cover story would be to create a distraction. Dirk Speedblood spoke up, "Professor Doretto, I think we can have a hands-on lesson today. I'm pretty sure that the school parking lot has both a Honda Civic and an RX-7 in it. Maybe we could see them in action?"

"Hmm…" Professor Doretto grumbled. "But teachers at this facility are forbidden from engaging students in dangerous activity. I don't think I can get away with that one."

Dirk Speedblood countered, "But what if Han and I are the drivers? HANS, I mean." Dirk Speedblood almost slipped up.

Dom winked at Dirk Speedblood. "I like the way you think, kiddo. Nothing in the rulebook against that." Dom rolled open the room's large garage door. "Five laps around the running track, and then we get back inside before the principal is any the wiser."

Krystal Kimiko pulled Dirk Speedblood aside. "Speedy D, what are you thinking? If the headmaster catches on, you could be expelled!"

Dirk Speedblood looked wistfully into the distance. "I've been running from a lot of things for a long time, KK. Today is the day I make a stand and fight for something greater than myself. Dom taught me that."

"Who?" asked Krystal Kimiko. "You're not making any sense!"

"It'll make sense soon," Dirk Speedblood urged. "For now, trust me, and most importantly, trust your heart. It has never lied to you before, and even now, I'm sure you can feel the truth coming from it, pure and soft as a dove's downy feathers."

Dirk Speedblood took off running toward his car. Han had already gotten to the riced RX-7, started the ignition, and pulled it to the start of the track. Dirk Speedblood dove through his own Civic's window, jammed the key into the ignition, and turned it as the car roared to life.

He pulled next to Han at the starting line. Han called over. "Thanks for bailing me out back there. But I'm not going to let you win just because of that!"

"Touche," said Dirk Speedblood.

The track was designed for runners on foot, but it would make an interesting course for a street race. Two cars could race side by side most of the way, but at the far back of the track the path angled and pinched and created a narrow section that would be tough to navigate.

"On your marks!" Dom called. The class stood completely enthralled; it wasn't every day they got to see a street race as part of their machine shop class. "Get set!" Han revved his engine and the RX-7 whined furiously, like a mean old lady who got a pizza delivery with the wrong toppings on it and refused to tip.

"Go!" Both cars burst off the line, raising a cloud of dust and ash from the track. Han's RX-7 had slightly better acceleration, and he made it to the hairpin first. But Dirk Speedblood dove his Civic into the corner at a reckless pace and his fearlessness paid off; he was right on Han's bumper.

For the rest of the lap, he couldn't gain any ground on Han at all. The RX-7 was indeed a fast car. But neither car had yet come close to the 300 kph that they had talked about in class.

On the second lap, Dirk Speedblood menaced Han at the corner, but Han held his ground, and now being more familiar with the course, he took a sharper line and kept more of his speed going through it. Han upshifted into fifth gear for the first time. Dirk Speedblood could see the distance between the two cars widening. The gap was at least two car lengths when they passed Dom again at the starting line.

Lap three. Han's tires slipped a bit as he caught some of the turf, and Dirk Speedblood feinted out then in to use his countersteer to drift through the hairpin. Many of his classmates oo'd and aah'd- they had never seen a drift before.

"Drift is my move!" shouted Han as he drifted on the corner's exit just to show he could do it too. But the damage was already done, and Dirk Speedblood was closing the gap quickly.

On lap four, Han drifted through the whole corner, and as Dirk Speedblood feared, he was really good at it after all. Dirk Speedblood followed Han's line, but he couldn't gain at all. Going into the final lap, the gap between cars was still a few meters.

The final hairpin… Han grinned as his speed crested the 300 kph mark. The race was all but won. All he'd have to do was hold his lead and he could triumphantly return to class as the undisputed drift king.

Dirk Speedblood gritted his teeth. All or nothing, do or die. As he drove past the race's observers, he could see Dom giving him a telling nod, as if to say, "Do it."

Without further hesitation, Dirk Speedblood feinted wide right, then cut back sharply to the left. His line took him completely off the track on the inside of the hairpin. Dirt and turf kicked up everywhere, but the Civic held tough and clamored back onto the track. Right in front of Han's RX-7.

"Dammit!" shouted Han. He slammed his horn, a mistake that would draw the school administrator's attention. They wouldn't have much time to finish the race.

Finish line straight ahead, Han tried to pull off the move Dirk Speedblood had used to pass him. He feinted left and then slid the car back the other way, tires hitting the turf, but the RX-7 spun out and Dirk Speedblood's Civic crossed the finish line victoriously.

Recovering quickly, Han gunned his car toward the parking lot and Dirk Speedblood followed. He could already see the administrator and his cronies forming a party to come issue any expulsions for unauthorized activity on the school property, and he didn't want to risk that. He hated school but it was better than the alternative.

By the time Dirk Speedblood got back to class, everyone else, including Han, was already back. Dirk Speedblood got to his seat just as the headmaster reached the door and peered through vindictively. Dom whistled innocently and the headmaster passed by, unable to identify the culprits behind the illegal street race on the school's premises.

"So class, did you see what happened today?"

Krystal Kimiko was the one to answer. "Dirk Speedblood's Civic was able to beat Han's RX-7."

_She called him Han._ Since he had introduced himself as Hans earlier, that could only mean one thing- Krystal Kimiko had recognized Han. It made sense- since they were both from Japan, they must have run into each other in the past.

"And why did the Civic win?" asked Dom.

"I don't know!" shouted Han furiously. "There shouldn't have been a way!"

Dom shook his head. "Remember what we were talking about earlier, about breaking the 300 kph barrier?"

Krystal Kimiko raised her hand. "The Civic set the record in Canada while the RX-7 set the record in Japan, right?"

"A+, Miss Kimiko." Dom clapped emphatically. "For one very important reason. The RX-7 has rear wheel drive, while the Civic uses front wheel drive."

"Why should that matter?" asked Han. He still hadn't accepted that his RX-7 had been beaten.

"Remember, Hans," said Dom. "You are from GERMANY." He said it almost as if to remind Han about the cover story. "Your wheel is on the right side of the car. You come from the eastern hemisphere."

A look of shocked realization appeared on Han's face.

Dom continued. "Meanwhile, we are now in the western hemisphere. Things are different here. Where rear wheel drive was once your advantage, now you'll find that it's not the same was in the same situations. You're far from home, boy."

Dirk Speedblood wondered how much of Han's shocked reaction was staged for the classroom's sake. For that matter, had the whole race been staged? By losing the race this way, Han was able to bring up the Germany part of the cover story again and solidify his fake identify. Everything went exactly as Han needed.

As class resumed, Dom pulled out a small, dark pair of goggles and strapped them to his face while he used a blowtorch to demonstrate proper welding technique. At the rear of class, most other students didn't notice when Han slid up next to Dirk Speedblood and Krystal Kimiko.

"Dirk Speedblood, Krystal Kimiko, it's time," said Han mysteriously.

"Time for what?" Krystal Kimiko asked.

"It's time… to save the world," said Han, the casual nature of his statement undermining its significance. As the sparks flew from Dom's blowtorch, Dirk Speedblood sensed the sparks of danger that awaited them.


	4. Chapter 4

The next day, everyone skipped school so that they could go to the Royal Ontario Museum. Dirk Speedblood drove everyone in his Civic, but he was puzzled. What could a museum possibly have that could determine the fate of the world? Dirk Speedblood almost hoped that Han was exaggerating. But a part of him, a bigger part, was filled with the desire to prove his worth. He could save the world. He knew he could. But how?

Dom and Han weren't saying anything about why it was so important. "Krystal Kimiko is the most important part of this," Han had said mysteriously.

As they walked into the museum, Dirk Speedblood glanced up at the advertisements for the new Japanese exhibit that the museum had. Suddenly, one of the banners caught his eye. On it was a katana of such incredible beauty that he almost cried. It was perfect, the blade a gleaming thread of steel balanced by a white hilt with a silver end cap shaped like the head of a wolf. "You have excellent taste, my young friend," a voice said over his shoulder.

Dirk Speedblood jerked in surprise. How had someone been able to sneak up on him? His hearing was far too good for anyone to be able to manage it. It was part of what made him such a formidable racer. Had he been so distracted by the picture of the sword that he had failed to notice the man, or was the man that stealthy? Or perhaps it was a combination of both. Dirk Speedblood knew that this would be a man he would have to watch. "That sword is called _Urufu no Moru_. It means—"

"Wolf's fang in Japanese," Dirk Speedblood interrupted.

"Oh, so you speak Japanese, do you? Truly, you are a most intriguing young man… Dirk Speedblood."

Dirk Speedblood was shocked. Who was this man, and how did he know so much? The mystery was threatening to consume him when suddenly an answer appeared.

"Outo-san! I see you have met my friend," said Krystal Kimiko.

Dirk Speedblood felt everything slip into place. This man was Krystal Kimiko's father! It seemed extremely unusual that he would also happen to be at the museum—unless it was what Han had meant when he said that Krystal Kimiko was the key to what they were planning. The only question was, how did he fit into their plan? Would he be their ally or their enemy?

While Dirk Speedblood had his revelation, Dom was already chatting up Krystal Kimiko's father, expertly extracting information without giving anything away. He learned that her father, Kitami, was in charge of the security for the new Japanese exhibit. "And it is a very difficult job," said Kitami, "Already, someone has offered me 10 billion American dollars to give them the jewel of our collection!"

He laughed, "I said no, of course. But take a look for yourself. What do you think?"

They had stopped in front of a display case that had a large golden gem inside of it. It was about the size of an egg, if eggs were the size of softballs, and was exquisitely carved with dragons and cherry blossom patterns. Han gasped, "That's a piece of pure Orichalcum! A gem that big could be used to build a bomb that could blow up the entire planet!"

"That's right," said Dom, "Or it could be used to make a car go faster than the speed of sound. Nothing is inherently good or bad. It's all about what you do with it."

"Someone offered you ten billion American dollars for this?" Maxx Speedblood laughed. "Who was it, some kind of terrorist?"

"I am afraid so. Have you ever heard of Die Stein-Ring?"

"Of course," said Krystal Kimiko, "They're a group of German terrorists, led by the mysterious Otto Mustermann. Was he the one who wanted to buy it?"

"I believe so," said Kitami. "Of course, I could never allow it to fall into their hands. There is no question that they would use it to destroy the planet!"

"But think of what you could do with ten billion American dollars!" laughed Maxx Speedblood, "Surely you must be at least a little tempted?"

Kitami smiled. "There is more to life than money, my young friend. There is family. My Krystal Kimiko is more precious to me than gems or any amount of money."

Dirk Speedblood was sure that all of his companions would agree with the idea that family was more important than money. He knew in his heart that none of them would ever betray the others, especially for something as worthless as money. As he mused over this thought, Kitami suddenly interrupted to introduce a man.

"Ah, Mr. Merke! Please, you must meet my daughter."

Mr. Merke was a tall, thin man with a face so wrinkled and pock-marked that he looked like Danny Trejo had been mummified…poorly. "You must be Krystal Kimiko," he said with a smile.

His voice had a strange accent that Dirk Speedblood couldn't place. "I'm Janusz Merke. I'm the head of Stonehenge Investments. We've donated a little money to this exhibit."

"You are too modest!" Kitami laughed, "Stonehenge Investments is our largest contributor by far—larger than all the others put together!"

"You flatter me," said Mr. Merke, "But you must be so proud of your daughter. And this fine young lad—is he your boyfriend?" he asked, gesturing at Dirk Speedblood.

Krystal Kimiko laughed, "Speedy D is like a nii-san to me!"

"Nissan? But we came here in a Honda!" laughed Maxx Speedblood.

"No, baka. It means brother!" said Krystal Kimiko.

Dirk Speedblood couldn't have been more crushed if he had been sandwiched between two stars. Krystal Kimiko thought of him like a brother? He didn't understand how she couldn't see the depth of his love.

"Mr. Merke and I have a lot to discuss. Why don't you go now?" said Kitami.

They walked out of the museum, Dirk Speedblood still in stunned silence about the revelation that he had just had. They got into his Civic and drove off.

"OK everyone," said Dom, "I think it's time to explain what we have to do. Our job is to steal the Orichalcum to make sure that Die Stein-Ring can't. Now let's go over what everyone's going to do."

"Hey guys, we've got some company," Han suddenly interrupted, pointing behind the Civic.

There were 3 black BMW M3 sedans with blacked-out windows following. "BMWs? No problem," said Dirk Speedblood, his confidence restored now that he was back in his element behind the wheel of his beloved Civic. He knew he could easily beat them in a street race.

"Don't you get it?" said Han, "BMWs are German and so is Otto Mustermann and Die Stein-Ring!"

Suddenly men popped out of the windows of the BMWs and started shooting at them! "Dirk Speedblood, you drive and I'll hold them off!" Dom cried, whipping out a handgun and leaning out the passenger window.

Dirk Speedblood knew that this would be a race unlike any other because the loser would be dead. What he didn't know was at that very moment, there was another problem for him developing.

At the school, the headmaster was fuming to his cronies. "I just know that Dirk Speedblood and that new exchange student Hans Gruber are up to no good!"

"But they've been excused for the day by Mr. Doretto," his lackey said.

"Then he's in on it too! And I'll defiantly catch them, you have my word!"


	5. Chapter 5

Bullets shredded the air like confetti. Dirk Speedblood poured on the gas and watched the M3s in his rear view mirror. The blood red Honda Civic might be supertuned, but the M3s were no slouches and were holding within firing distance.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" Tej said in a panicky tone. "It's getting pretty rough out there! Time for me to try out a new toy!" He pulled a small remote control out of a satchel.

"What's that?" Brian O'Conner asked.

"Just you wait and see, my comrade," replied Tej. He flipped a switch on the remote control. Moments later, a 2010 Chevy Cobalt SS appeared alongside Dirk Speedblood's Civic. Dirk Speedblood almost asked where it came from, but then he saw the remote-controlled helicopter above, flying off into the distance.

"Badass!" shouted Brian. He climbed out the window and into the Cobalt, easier said than done at the speed they were going. As soon as he got behind the controls, he removed the remote gadget from the wheel and spun the car around to warm up the tires. To his pleasant surprise, his buddy Roman was already waiting in the passenger seat.

Dom gritted his teeth. "Where's MY ride?" He grabbed the remote from Tej and started pushing buttons randomly. Nothing happened.

Dirk Speedblood remembered how Dom had blown his engine in a gesture of goodwill, to forge a friendship that would unite the crew. That must be why Dom's car wasn't ready yet.

Two more helicopters arrived and dropped off two more cars- Han's RX-7 and Letty's Corolla S, and they crawled out of the Civic into their respective cars. Han narrowly avoided a few bullets on the way.

Now the tables had turned. The three BMW M3s were now following a line of four cars, each tuned to the point of being a monster machine.

Dom pounded the Civic's dash angrily. "Dammit! I'm no good without a car. Bring us about. We'll catch one of the M3s broadside and I'll board it!"

Dirk Speedblood liked the plan. He threw down the E brake sent the Civic into a wide drift, and it went sideways compared to the M3s. Dom, Maxx, and Tej opened fire from the Civic, like a broadside volley of old.

It was a direct hit. Glass shattered as the bullets crashed through a M3's passenger side windows, causing serious damage without impacting the performance of the car.

"Alright!" Dom called. "Now bring us in close!" But an undamaged M3 on the other side of the damaged one started laying down cover fire. Dirk Speedblood couldn't move in any closer without risk of damage to his Civic.

Dom pointed at the undamaged M3. "The wind forces are just right! Can you give me forty five degrees of drift?"

"Who do you think I am?" asked Dirk Speedblood. "Of course I can!" He turned the wheel exactly forty five degrees.

The Civic turned forty five degrees to match the turn of the wheel- the quick shift sent the Civic into a wild drift. Dom fired his gun. A stream of bullets hooked through the air. A combination of wind, speed, and drift force caused the bullets to take a trajectory around the damaged M3 and straight into the hood of the undamaged one on the other side. The M3 lost power and faded into the distance.

"Hell yeah!" shouted Dom as he climbed out the window and lept over to the damaged M3. The surprised driver didn't even know what hit him when Dom kicked him out the other side of the car. Dom grabbed the wheel and winked at Dirk Speedblood.

Brian, Letty, and Han swooped around the last M3 and collided with it from all sides at the same time, causing catastrophic damage to the luxury vehicle. The road was now completely owned by Dom's crew.

"Ok, let's get back to the museum!" called Dom. "They must be moving on the Orichalcum if they attacked us like this. We need to get there first!"

The cars all entered rapid U turns, and now Dirk Speedblood was following the others. Dirk Speedblood jammed the gas pedal to the floor.

"Hold on a second, brother." Maxx Speedblood laughed. Dirk Speedblood looked over at him. Maxx had a gun drawn.

"Cut it out, Maxximum." Dirk Speedblood used Maxx's full name to show that he was serious.

"Yeah, cut it out, Maxx!" cried Krystal Kimiko.

"Ha ha ha," said Maxx. "You spoke before of loyalty, but really, what does it all matter when there's so much money on the line? With ten billion dollars, I could have anything I want!"

"Even if it means the end of the world?" asked Dirk Speedblood.

"If that's what it takes," replied Maxx.

Tej grabbed at Maxx from behind. "Not on my watch!" With one hand, he grabbed at the gun, and with the other, he started to strangle Maxx Speedblood.

Hatred welled in Maxx Speedblood's eyes. He used both hands on the gun and started to wrench it out of Tej's grip. Dirk Speedblood watched in horror. With one hand on the wheel and the other on the shifter, he didn't have a free hand to help out. Dirk Speedblood watched helplessly as Maxx Speedblood shot Tej. Dom was going to be pissed.

"Noooooooooo!" shouted Dirk Speedblood. "You monster!" He lost control of the Civic. The car collided with a safety rail and entered a wild spin. The rear view mirror came loose and clocked Dirk Speedblood on the head. Blood trickled from the wound and dripped into Dirk Speedblood's eyes, temporarily blinding him.

The Civic ground to a halt. Still blinded, Dirk Speedblood could hear the passenger door open as Maxx got out. Then the sound of the rear doors as Maxx threw Tej and Krystal Kimiko from the vehicle. Finally, the driver side door opened and Dirk Speedblood felt himself being pulled from the vehicle and thrown to the cold, hard pavement.

Minutes passed that felt like hours that felt like days. Dirk Speedblood heard the Civic speed off, headed toward the museum. He had no way of warning Dom or the others. He couldn't even see! This was truly Dirk Speedblood's darkest hour- the Empire Strikes Back of his lifetime's saga.

He felt a wiping sensation come over his eyes, and suddenly his vision was restored. As the world came back to him, he saw Krystal Kimiko carefully tending to his eyes.

"Are you OK, Speedy D?" she asked. "I can't believe Maxx betrayed us all like that!"

"I know, this is awful," said Dirk Speedblood. "But we can't give in just like that! Not when the world is on the line!"

"But how will we get back to the museum? We don't have a car!" wept Krystal Kimiko.

A black Honda Civic 2007 Si pulled up alongside the curb. The rear window rolled down, revealing a familiar face.

"Ah, Mr. Dirk Speedblood. Just the person I was looking for. Get in. You're being expelled today, along with that fake German exchange student. It was bad luck for him that I saw the movie that his fake ID was based on!" the school headmaster chuckled. "Now tell me, where is this Hans now? I can take you to him and expel the both of you together."

Dirk Speedblood looked deeply into Krystal Kimiko's eyes, conveying the depth of his tormented soul, as he replied to the headmaster. "He's at the museum. Let's go." Having lost his friends, his family, his car, and now his formal education, Dirk Speedblood didn't want to lose his planet, too.


	6. Chapter 6

As the principal drove Maxx Speedblood's car (having obtained it through the misuse of his power as principal to access any car in the school parking lot) to the museum, he was gloating loudly about having finally caught Dirk Speedblood and the transfer student Hans Gruber doing something that he could pin on them. As usual, Dirk Speedblood wasn't paying any attention to the principal. His thoughts were consumed with the pain of his brother's betrayal, and the probably destruction of the planet. _"Dom, Krystal Kimiko, Han, Brian, Tej, and Letty are all depending on me. And I should be depending on Maxx Speedblood. But right now… I can't. How could my brother betray me? Betray our planet?" _thought Dirk Speedblood.

His greatest concern at the moment, however, was the horrifically slow pace that the principal was setting. From the way he drove, it was quite clear that he didn't have any speed in his blood. Dirk Speedblood was sure that by the time they got to the museum, everything would be over and everyone living on Earth would be doomed.

When they finally got to the museum, Hobs had already established a barricade around it, making entry impossible. The sounds of battle drifted through the open doors, calling to Dirk Speedblood and setting his blood on fire. "What the devil is going on?" cried the principal.

"No time to explain, I'm afraid," said Dirk Speedblood, as he unclipped the principal's seatbelt, unlocked and opened the driver's door, and pushed the principal out in one smooth practiced motion.

"I've got some family business to take care of!" Dirk Speedblood shouted as he shifted over to the driver's seat and assumed control of the car.

"You'll never get away with this!" the Principal shouted as he tumbled into the pavement.

Dirk Speedblood was rapidly approaching the barrier, and he knew it was impossible to go through it, around it, or under it. "I'll just have to go over it!" Dirk Speedblood shouted as he lined the car up with a makeshift ramp.

The Civic roared as he accelerated as much as possible, and then suddenly it was airborne, flying over the heads of stunned cops and landing on the stairs of the museum. Before anyone could react, Dirk Speedblood had driven into the open doors of the museum and was inside.

Inside a chaotic battle reigned as the security guards and Dom's crew desperately fought the members of Die Stein Ring. Dirk Speedblood drifted through the corridors of the museum as he searched for what he knew could turn the tide of the battle.

Finally, he came upon it: the sword _Urufu no Moru _in its display case. He jammed the accelerator pedal all the way to the floor as he drove past, putting his right fist out the window and focusing his entire Chi into his knuckles as he punched the display case. It worked! The combined power of his Chi and the car's momentum at 100 kilometers per hour shattered the case and allowed him to grab the sword. Instantly he felt the rush of power that always struck him when he held his sword. As long as he had it, he knew there was nothing that he couldn't do.

But he hadn't been the only one going for the sword. A goon from Die Stein Ring was running at his car. Thinking quickly, Dirk Speedblood rammed the man at full speed, and as the man went tumbling over the roof, Dirk Speedblood quickly stabbed upwards through the roof with _Urufu no Mor, _impaling the man multiple times and ending his life.

He encountered a few more men from Die Stein Ring as he made his way to the Orichalcum, but a combination of the Civic and the sword put a quick end to them. When he finally made it to the display case, he saw an amazing sight. Janusz Merke was guarding the case with nothing but a briefcase and a fencing foil, taking on wave after wave of terrorists. "My young friend!" Mr. Merke shouted, "Please, help me!"

Dirk Speedblood didn't need to be asked twice. He got out of his car and stood back to back with Mr. Merke as they fought off the terrorists with their swords. "I was afraid I wouldn't be able to hold them off long enough, but I should be able to with your help!"

"Long enough for what?" asked Dirk Speedblood asked.

Suddenly, a terrorist got lucky and got off a glancing blow against Janusz Merke. "Scheiße!" swore Janusz Merke as his arm began to ooze blood.

Suddenly, everything clicked in Dirk Speedblood's head. The strange accent, the fencing scar and the ability with a fencing foil, the fact that Die Stein Ring was a way of saying Stonehenge in German, and now the German curse word. There was only one possible explanation. "You're Otto Mustermann, aren't you!"

"Yes indeed, my young friend. And to answer your first question, I was only waiting until my ride showed up!"

Otto Mustermann suddenly stabbed Dirk Speedblood and grabbed the Orichalcum from the display case. As Dirk Speedblood crumpled to the floor, he saw a familiar car pulling it. It was his own '93 Civic—with Maxx Speedblood behind the wheel! "Maxximum… You can't do this…" Dirk Speedblood gasped as he bled out.

"Sorry, little brother, but I'm a man of my word!"

Otto Mustermann slammed the piece of Orichalcum with a chisel and split it in two. He put one half of it into the briefcase he had been carrying and tossed the other half into the '93 Civic. "You see this?" he said, gesturing at the briefcase, "Consider this a parting gift. This briefcase bomb has activated the Orichalcum's natural instability, and once started, there's no way to stop it! And even if you could, I'm going to take the other half to my other briefcase bomb and activate it! Face it—you've lost!"

Dirk Speedblood's vision started to fade as Otto Mustermann and Maxx Speedblood drove off. Was it really over? Was there no way to stop the destruction of the planet?


	7. Chapter 7

"Wake up Speedy D!" Dirk Speedblood felt a shaking sensation as he was shaken awake. He opened his eyes and saw Krystal Kimiko, Dom, Han, Brian, Tej, Letty, Roman, Hobs, Kitami, and the rest of the crew standing there.

"Aurrgh!" shouted Hobs. "This is all my fault. Man, I SUCK at protecting valuable things."

Dom patted Hobs on the back. "Don't sweat it, bro. We'll get it back. It's not like this is our first ride around the block."

The briefcase bomb continued to tick ominously. "Well, let's start with this… What do we do about this?" asked Hobs.

"No sweat!" cried Brian. "I used to be a cop. Disarming bombs is second nature to me." He pulled out a switchblade and cracked open the briefcase. "Oh…" he said, suddenly looking sullen.

"What's wrong?" asked Han. He lit up a cigarette and puffed a cloud of smoke shaped like a dragon.

"Well," said Brian, "I can disconnect the briefcase bomb from the Orichalcum, but I can't disarm the briefcase bomb entirely. We've only got two minutes before the briefcase bomb blows up this whole building." He pulled the Orichalcum out of the briefcase and handed it to Kitami.

Dom shrugged. "What's the problem? We can just have someone get in Maxx Speedblood's Civic and drive it to a safe distance."

"No, that's wrong!" Kitami butted in. "Dom-san, If we use the Civic for that, then how will we chase down Otto Mustermann and Maxx Speedblood? They'll just use the other half of the Orichalcum to destroy the world."

Dom punched out one of Die Stein Ring's thugs and tossed him through a display case, impaling him on the hood ornament of the museum's greatest treasure. Dirk Speedblood looked more closely at the display. Fire engine red, sleek design- it was the very first Honda Civic prototype released in Canada, the very same car that proved that a land vehicle could break the 300 KPH barrier!

"We use this!" shouted Dom. "Han, get in. Drive this far enough away before it explodes so that none of us will be hurt."

Brian put a calm hand on Dom's shoulder. "It's ok, Dom, I've got this. I've got a family now, so it was only a matter of time before I'd have to stop riding with this crew. Might as well go out a hero instead."

A single tear rolled down Dom's cheek. "Well then, brother," he said. "Ride AND die…"

Still, there wasn't a lot of time left. Brian got in the Civic prototype. "Are you sure you'll be able to do this?" asked Han. "It'll take some epic drifts to get that thing out of here in time. It's not too late to change your mind!"

"Trust me," said Brian. "Han, your destiny awaits you elsewhere. You've got a little more time left. Make the most of your life. Go to Tokyo. Drift. Drift like you've never drifted before."

Brian revved the engine and spun his tires. He looked out the window and winked at Dom before speeding off. From the sound of the tires, Dirk Speedblood could envision in his mind the otherworldly drifts Brian was pulling off. The sound of the legendary Civic got more and more distant. Then a large explosion sounded in the distance, shaking the building.

"Nooooooo!" shouted Dom. "Why did this have to happen?"

Han soothed Dom with soft words. "He went out a hero, Dom. And more importantly, he went out drifting. When I go, that's how I want it to be, too. Drifting transcends life and death. When you drift a car, you're already in heaven."

Dom stood up and looked at Maxx Speedblood's black Civic. "Can it drive?" he asked Dirk Speedblood.

"Yes," said Dirk Speedblood. "But it will only answer to one with the Speedblood name. I'll drive."

Letty looked at a map of the museum. "Classic cars of the 1990s." She pointed at a room on the map. "It's not too far. Roman, Tej, Hobs, come with me. Let's get some new wheels."

Letty took off with her companions in tow. Only Dirk Speedblood, Dom, Han, Krystal Kimiko, and her father Kitami remained.

Dom stomped angrily. "Well how are we going to catch them now?" he pouted.

Kitami answered. "Dom-san, I have a trick we can use. But it's important to say, we can only use this trick once. Do it twice and very, very bad things will happen."

As Kitami looked down sullenly, Dom ran at him and started to choke him. "Well, let's hear it old man! Time is running out!"

"You see, Dom-san, I named Krystal Kimiko with a great sense of irony. For the crystal is very much a part of her fate."

Han tossed his cigarette to the ground. "You mean…"

"Yes, I do," continued Kitami. "I see my friend Han is familiar with the Japanese legend of the girl who can absorb the crystal. Well, Dom-san, my daughter is the fulfillment of that legend."

Dom held Kitami over a railing. "Well, what good does that do us now?"

Kitami nodded slowly. "I must repeat again, this is a one-time only trick. You must never under any circumstances try this again. If you understand that, then you will be able to stop Maxx Speedblood and Otto Mustermann."

"Ok," promised Dirk Speedblood. "Whatever it takes."

Kitami sighed in relief. "Ok, Krystal Kimiko, do it now."

A bright reddish aura burst from Krystal Kimiko as she grabbed the Orichalcum from Kitami. Flames flickered across the surface of the crystal, and also across the surface of Krystal Kimiko. Dirk Speedblood was worried, but as he watched, Krystal Kimiko walked to the black Civic's hood and twisted around the gem in her hands. She molded it like putty and fed it into the Civic's engine compartment, where the flames passed on to the engine itself. It was the most beautiful thing Dirk Speedblood had ever seen.

As the flames died out, Dirk Speedblood hopped in the driver's seat of the Civic. "Dom, Han, Krystal Kimiko, get in!" All three of them got in, and Dirk Speedblood revved the engine. Krystal Kimiko looked a little worn, but she got into the car without a complaint.

"Wait, Dirk Speedblood-san!" called Kitami. "That car can now travel faster than the speed of sound, and it will work in circumstances when no other car will, like if the whole world lost power or something like that. But remember what I said. ONLY ONCE. You must never use this trick again. If you do, you will regret it for the rest of your life."

Sitting behind the wheel of Maxx Speedblood's car, Dirk Speedblood laughed. "I've already got a car that can go faster than the speed of sound. Why would I need to do this again?" But in his heart, Dirk Speedblood knew that the future wouldn't make things so easy.

Dirk Speedblood gunned the car into third gear. Already it was halfway to the speed of sound, and that made it really difficult to navigate the car through the tight corridors of the museum. Finally, he burst out into the streets of Toronto, in hot pursuit of the 1993 red Honda Civic that currently controlled the fate of the world.

With Dom's many years of experience driving, he was the first one to spot the red Civic in the distance. It was a few kilometers ahead on the freeway, but going almost three quarters the speed of sound, they closed the gap in no time.

Han grabbed Dirk Speedblood's arm. "This is your chance! Drift!"

Dirk Speedblood followed Han's advice and sent the car into a wide drift. The force of the drift caught the red Civic and sent it teetering toward the side of the road. Maxx Speedblood flipped on the hazard lights and pulled over.

The front passenger door of the red Civic burst open as Otto Mustermann kicked his way out. "This ends here!" He pulled out the other half of the Orichalcum and tossed it to the pavement.

"No!" shouted Dom. Dirk Speedblood stopped the black Civic and Dom pushed his way out of the car, running across the freeway. He hurdled one car and rolled across the hood of another, but traffic was heavy and he wasn't making much progress. Otto pulled out a lighter and started flicking the igniter, trying to create a spark that would detonate the crystal.

A truck hit Dom and sent him sprawling. He struggled back to his feet, dazed, searching for Otto, but he couldn't locate him. Han pulled out a gun and climbed to the roof of the Civic, but a German truck pulled up and blocked his view. Dirk Speedblood felt his blood boil. They were going to lose.

Suddenly the screech of tires burst through Dirk Speedblood's glum attitude! Four cars flew in from all sides, closing in around Otto Mustermann and the red Civic. Roman rolled down the window of his Skyline GT-R. "Ha, we got you, Mustermann! Die Stein Ring dies today!" He laughed at his clever pun.

Letty climbed out of her Mazda Miata convertible. "Whew, that was a close one."

Otto Mustermann stood up with his hands in the air. Then he began to laugh. "Ha ha. Ahahahaha. Ahahahahahaha!" Dirk Speedblood got a bad feeling.

"You really think this is over?" shouted Otto. He pulled back the sleeve of his right arm, revealing a small black tattoo of the world with an X through it, superimposed over a giant number 6. "I'm only Die Stein Ring's 6th best operative. There are seven of us in total, more than enough to destroy the world!"

"Seven of you?" asked Hobs. "No way!"

"It's true!" retorted Otto. "Even Lord Potus, the weakest of our group, is more than capable of destroying the world. And just wait until you meet The Hare, or Fliggle Drifticus, or any of our other highly ranked operatives scattered around the world, just waiting for the right time to end everything!"

Dirk Speedblood walked toward Otto. "It doesn't matter. With people like Dom in the world, plans like yours will never succeed."

"Ah, Dirk Speedblood… The world has a special fate for you indeed!" Otto Mustermann waved his hands around in a grandiose power. "The power of the Orichalcum destroys those who get too close to it." As he spoke, he began to get even more wrinkled, beyond what Dirk Speedblood thought was possible.

"What in the world...?" Dom pointed a gun at Otto.

"Yes, indeed, the power comes at a high price. You must have seen it, wielder of the Orichalcum. From the very start of time to the very end of time, the true point of everything is destruction!" He raised a hand toward Dirk Speedblood and the hand crumbled into dust. He continued to shamble forward.

"No! Not for me!" shouted Dirk Speedblood.

Otto Mustermann chuckled. "I have seen everything, past, present, and future. There is no escaping it. Truly, the Speedblood line will end with you." And with that, Otto Mustermann crumbled completely into a cloud of dust and drifted away on the wind.

"Well, that's depressing," said Tej. "But we saved the world, didn't we? Let's go back and celebrate."

Dirk Speedblood felt they were forgetting something. The sound of Maxx Speedblood's black Civic roaring to life reminded him of what that was. He could hear Maxx Speedblood laughing.

"Well, brother, it's been fun, but I've got a deal to fulfill!" Maxx Speedblood laughed.

Dirk Speedblood looked angrily at Maxx Speedblood. "Mustermann is gone! You've got your money! Why are you still doing this?"

Maxx Speedblood laughed again. "True, but a Speedblood is always true to his word. And if it means fulfilling a promise to destroy the world, so be it. Goodbye, brother." And with that, Maxx Speedblood pushed down on the accelerator and took off at nearly the speed of sound.

The Orichalcum still rested on the ground near the pile of Otto-dust. "We've still got the crystal!" said Han. "What's his plan now?"

"His car was infused with the power of the other half, remember? He can use that car to destroy the world, and now we have no way to catch him," said Krystal Kimiko.

"Yep, we're royally screwed," mumbled Dom. "Out of the frying pan and into the fire."

Dirk Speedblood looked at the Orichalcum and then at his own 1993 red Honda Civic sitting idle on the side of the freeway. But he remembered Kitami's warning, that something very bad would happen if he tried the same trick again. It was a lose-lose situation, and either way Dirk Speedblood felt like the world would never be the same again.


	8. Chapter 8

"Speedy-D, you know what I have to do," said Krystal Kimiko.

Dirk Speedblood couldn't bear to look at her perfect face. He knew her perfect eyes would be wet with tears, that her long flowing pink hair would be wet with the light rain that had started coming down. _But water won't be the only thing raining,_ thought Dirk Speedblood, clenching his fist so hard that his nails broke the skin of his palm, _it'll be raining the blood of my traitorous brother, too._

Droplets of blood fell from Dirk Speedblood's fist, and tears fell from Krystal Kimiko's eyes, merging with the rain to be lost forever. "I don't want you to," Dirk Speedblood said, "I need you."

"The world needs her," said Dom, approaching them, "Say your goodbyes."

Krystal Kimiko grabbed the chunk of crystal, the very same piece that her father had named her after. It was funny how things worked out, but Dirk Speedblood didn't feel like laughing. She began using her power again, and once more the flaming red aura surrounded her and the crystal. But something was different. Her hands were slowly turning into crystal as well!

"Krystal!" shouted Dirk Speedblood, "What's happening?"

"Ah," said Kitami, "This is the very thing I warned would happen. A child of the Orichalcum can only use their powers once in their lives. If they use it again, they will surely be turned into Orichalcum themselves!"

The crystal was rapidly spreading up Krystal Kimiko's arms, and it was clear she only had seconds of life left. "It's OK, Speedy-D… You have to save the world."

"No!" shouted Dirk Speedblood, "What's the point of the world if you're not in it? Why shouldn't I just let Maxx win?"

Suddenly Dom punched Dirk Speedblood in the face so hard that a lesser man would have lost all of his teeth. "Shut up and deal, man! This is about all of us now. I do everything I do for my crew… for my family. And humanity is all one family, too! So if you don't save the world, you're letting everyone die!"

"Please, Speedy-D," said Krystal Kimiko, "You have to do it."

"But-" Dirk Speedblood started speaking, but Krystal Kimiko cut him off.

"You're the only one who can do it. But Speedy-D… If we can't be together in this life, I'll find you in the next one. Will you remember me?"

Dirk Speedblood nodded, tears streaming down his face and blood dripping from his fist, all the liquid disappearing in the rain that was coming down harder than ever. "I will remember you."

"Don't let your life pass you by," said Krystal Kimiko, her entire body almost completely converted to crystal, "And thank you for the memories…"

With that, the process was complete. Where the love of Dirk Speedblood's life had once stood, there was only a glimmering statue of pure Orichalcum. Kitami approached Dirk Speedblood, "There's no way to guarantee that it'll work, but there might just be a way to restore Krystal Kimiko. You see, all we have to do is—"

Before Kitami could finish, Dom had swung a fist into the statue that had formerly been Krystal Kimiko, shattering it into hundreds of shards. "There's no time, old man!" spat Dom, pushing Kitami to the ground, "Every second we waste is a hundred miles further away that Maxx gets. The only way Dirk Speedblood can catch up is if he has the speed boost he'll get from feeding these crystals into his car's gas tank!"

As he spoke, he was scooping up chunks of crystal and forcing them into the gas tank of Dirk Speedblood's Civic. "None of our cars could stand this," Han told Dirk Speedblood, helping Dom add crystals to the tank.

"Yeah, you're the only one who can do this. You'll have to go alone," said Tej as he started helping.

Within a very short period of time, all of the chunks of crystal that had once been Krystal Kimiko had been loaded into the tank, and Dirk Speedblood was ready to go. Even sitting motionless, his Civic seemed like a dangerous beast, a crackling red aura surrounding it so brightly that it hurt to look at. "Here," said Dom, handing Dirk Speedblood his welding googles, "You're going to need these."

Dirk Speedblood put on the googles and sat behind the wheel. When he turned the engine over, it roared like an angry wolf, and the force of the exhaust was enough to knock a wall down. He revved the engine to see how high it would go, but the tachometer needle broke the end stop and just kept going, spinning and spinning in an endless circle. _Is this my destiny_, thought Dirk Speedblood, _To be constantly moving, never stopping, to pass the same points countless times while I myself am unchanged?_

"Go!" yelled Letty, and Dirk Speedblood took her command.

The instant he touched the gas pedal, his Civic leapt forward with such incredible force that his tires left behind burning trails, the flaming trails burning with the same red aura that surrounded the red Civic. The speedometer needle quickly joined the tachometer's needle in its constant revolution, and it was impossible to say how fast he was going. But no matter how much he kept going, it seemed like the acceleration was never ending. Dirk Speedblood was pushed back into his seat so hard that he could barely move, and even moving the steering wheel seemed to take as much effort as bench pressing a truck. There was a sudden boom and Dirk Speedblood realized that he had outrun sound itself for only the third time.

The roads raced by in a blur, Dirk Speedblood going ever faster and faster, dodging slower traffic and pursuing cops who had no chance of ever matching his speed. Suddenly, the aura surrounding his car shifted to a brilliant blue, and for a split second that was also an eternity, Dirk Speedblood was connected to everything as reality seemed to fold through itself. He could see everything that he had ever done, he could see the way that everyone he had ever met in his life connected, the fragile yet hearty connections between true racing spirits. Dirk Speedblood knew that finding Maxx would be as simple as following the connection between their two hearts.

He found it easily, a slippery black thread that pulsed with a sluggish sort of life. It was dying, Dirk Speedblood realized, which could only mean one thing. One of them was going to die tonight, and the connection would be severed forever. But which?

Before he could ponder on it further, his Civic's aura faded back to red, and the moment was over, his constant acceleration finally ending. It didn't matter though—up ahead, he could see Maxx Speedblood's Civic. "MAXXXXXXXXXX!" Dirk Speedblood howled, giving voice to his rage, his sorrow, his hope for humanity that he refused to allow to be squashed by his brother.

But Maxx Speedblood had brought one of the members of Die Stein Ring with him, and the mook was leaning out of the passenger window, unloading on Dirk Speedblood's Civic with an automatic rifle.

Dirk Speedblood knew this was bad. He couldn't return fire and keep up with Maxx Speedblood at the same time. "No!" he cried in frustration, weaving to dodge the bullets, "There must be some way!"

"But there is, Speedy-D" said a voice from the passenger seat of his car.

Dirk Speedblood nearly lost control of his car he was so shocked. "Krystal Kimiko!" he gasped.

It was and yet it wasn't. The person who was sitting in Dirk Speedblood's passenger seat looked like Krystal Kimiko, but she was translucent and glowing gold. "I am all that remains of Krystal Kimiko," said Krystal Kimiko, "You can think of me as a sort of speed ghost. When you hit the speed of light, it was enough for my Orichalcum essence to resonate with reality at the right frequency to bring me back."

"And you're here to stay?" Dirk Speedblood asked hopefully, but Krystal Kimiko shook her head sadly.

"I'm afraid my time here is brief. But know this, Dirk Speedblood—I will always be watching you from the place beyond speed, and when you find yourself in the hour of your greatest need, I will be there for you."

Dirk Speedblood nodded, weaving in and out of traffic as he dodged the incoming fire from the gunman in his brother's car. "Can you do something about him?"

Krystal Kimiko nodded, and she gathered together a ball of flickering gold light in her palm, which seemed to condense until it was like a ball of molten gold. She pushed it away from her, and Dirk Speedblood could feel the power of it as it unerringly went after the man shooting at them.

A split second after the ball connected, Dirk Speedblood thought that nothing was going to happen. But then the man suddenly started aging rapidly. "What's happening to me?!" the man screamed in a voice that grew gradually more decrepit before exploding into a cloud of dust.

"Your time ran out," replied Krystal Kimiko's ghost as she slowly faded out of reality.

"This is it, brother!" shouted Dirk Speedblood, "No more tricks! It's just you and me!"

Maxx Speedblood simply laughed in response. "Little brother, you have no chance! Everything you know, every trick you might try… I taught you everything that you know! I know what you're going to do before you do. Tell me, do you really think you were able to do anything during this race that I didn't anticipate and plan for? And now it's the end of the line for you!"

Dirk Speedblood gasped as he realized what Maxx meant. Maxx had tricked him into following him up a mountain pass that didn't have room for two cars. Dirk Speedblood would run out of room and be forced off the edge of the cliff! "Maybe," said Dirk Speedblood, "But what if I knew a trick that someone else taught me?"

"What?" laughed Maxx Speedblood, "It doesn't matter. You have no chance!"

The end of the road was coming very soon, but Dirk Speedblood pulled out his ace, "Something I learned from Dom—all those years, I was letting you win!"

"What?" gasped Max Speedblood as Dirk Speedblood suddenly pulled ahead and cut him off, "How can this be?"

"End of the road, brother," said Dirk Speedblood as Maxx Speedblood was forced off the cliff.

Dirk Speedblood pulled an epic handbrake turn and drifted to a stop. From the top of the cliff, he watched as his brother's car hit the ground and exploded into a ball of fire. He had saved the world, and all it had cost him was his brother. He could hear the wail of sirens as the police started catching up now that he had come to a stop. He turned his car around and headed back to where he had left the others. His brother's car would also be his brother's grave. He hoped that his brother would find it fitting.

Everyone cheered as Dirk Speedblood returned. "I knew you could do it," said Han.

"Ah man, I was betting that you couldn't," laughed Tej, "Dom would've owed me a million dollars if you failed!"

Dom hit Tej in the shoulder, and Tej winced when the fist struck the wound that had been caused by Maxx Speedblood's bullet. "Never bet against a Speedblood," said Dom as he ripped Tej's wallet out of Tej's pants, "I think we all learned that today."

"How appropriate," a familiar voice laughed, "because it'll be the last lesson you ever learn!"

It was the headmaster of Dirk Speedblood's school, and he was aiming a gun at Dirk Speedblood! "What? Why?" asked Dirk Speedblood.

"Because you're a terrible student and a danger to the school and the world!" the headmaster said.

"And you're going to kill me over that?" gasped Dirk Speedblood.

"That's right. Consider it the last thing I'll ever teach you!"

The headmaster's finger tightened on the trigger, and Dirk Speedblood had no time to dodge. This was going to be it. Suddenly, the shot went wild as a shadowy figure roundhouse kicked the headmaster in the face. The headmaster crumpled like a sack of potatoes, and Dirk Speedblood's rescuer stepped into the light. It was Brian!

"A ghost!" shouted Dom as he punched Brian as hard as he could.

Brian was winded, and as he caught his breath he gasped, "I'm not a ghost! I just got out of the car in time!"

"But how?" asked Han, "Was there some kind of remote control function?"

"No way, that'd be lame!" laughed Brian, "I had driven the car a safe distance away from the museum and I was waiting in it to make sure it went off safely. That's when a guy who looked like Dirk Speedblood, but older and with a scar on his face appeared in the car and told me that it wasn't my time. He pushed me out of the car and he and the car just vanished!"

"I think this calls for a family barbeque!" said Dom, "To saving the world! Come on, join us Dirk Speedblood. You're part of our family now!"

"I can't," Dirk Speedblood said, "With my brother and Krystal Kimiko dead, I can't stay here. I'm going to leave forever. There's a place in Maine where I need to go."

"Well," said Dom, "Before you go, how about one more race? There's a guy in town from America who owns a Challenger, and he thinks he's the fastest ever. Why don't you go prove him wrong?"

Dirk Speedblood didn't even have to think about it. "Let's go! But wait… where did the headmaster go?"

The headmaster had somehow vanished in the confusion. "Don't worry," said Han, "I'm sure you'll encounter him again eventually."


End file.
